@thedragonsofpestilence

The Dragons of Pestilence [Chaos Warband]

The Dragons of Pestilence are a Chaos Space Marine Warband that were once the Adeptus Astartes Chapter in the service of the Imperium of Man known as the Black Dragon. One of their very own became corrupted be the forces of Nurgle the Chaos God of disease, decay, destruction, and death by rebirth. This new Champion of Nurgle hatched an infectious plan that spread his corruption through the entire Chapter, granting him command over his brethren. This new Warband of Decay wreaked havoc throughout the sectors of the Imperium of Man for centuries until one day they disappeared into the warp, and have not been seen since. That was until Durnehviir’s flagship The Herald of Decay dropped from the warp over Hellifyno.

The Dragons of Pestilence differ in appearance based on the rate of mutations they’ve undergone and role they hold within the Warband. The armor color scheme is usually black with dark rotten shades of green detailed in bone. However the more tainted by Nurgle the more grotesque they become. Some of the Warband particularly the Dragon Claws, are transformed in a draconic daemon like form which allows them to instead of using jumpacks for flight utilize draconic wings that sprout from their backs.

Inventory

Durnehviir’s personal Wargear and Weapons

Corrupted Aegis Terminator Armour: This Power Armour is a incredibly durable suit consisting an outer shell of heavy-gauge ceramite plasteel composite plates, mounted on an adamantium exoskeleton with servo-assisted interfaces that integrate with Durnehviir’s own neurological and muscular systems to enhance movement. Its advanced composition allows Durnehviir to survive hits from firepower that could penetrate even the armour of a tank, and it is the heaviest combat armour in any Imperial arsenal, able to withstand tremendous punishment. This incredibly crafted armour has been anointed and inscribed with prayers to the Dark Gods and Chaos Runes, ritually consecrated and psychically-charged. The armour grants Durnehviir the ability to draw from the corruptive energies of the Immaterium more easily, as well as absorb warp energies in the area to psychically-charge himself. On top of enhancing the psyker abilities of the wearer, the armour also has a wrist mounted Storm Bolter that is similar in function as a regular Storm Bolter but grants the use of a free hand to wield Durnehviir’s powerful two-handed Nemesis Force Weapon.

The Soul Glaive: This Nemesis Force Halberd is a chapter relic that Durnehviir stole from the Grey Knights dead Grand Master. Over centuries of war, a fraction of a Grey Knight’s psychic essence may imprint itself upon his weapon, literally becoming an extension of his being. In rare cases, this imprint is so strong that it persists after death, and another can wield the blade in battle to combine his own psychic might with that of a fallen hero. The Soul Glaive is such a weapon, a halberd that in generations past was carried into battle by the 13th Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights, Lord Sylas Kalthorn, who defeated the Daemon Prince Ka’laedzar in single combat. Durnehviir has since ritually corrupted the Soul Glaive with the energies of Chaos, twisting the very nature the weapon. It feeds off souls of the vanquished, horrifically torturing any being imprisoned within the Glaive. Their screams of anguish and insanity can be faintly heard from the blade. With each soul consumed by this weapon, the more it helps amplify Durnehviir’s psyker abilities.

Hellfire Rounds: Durnehviir likes to utilize standard calibre Hellfire Bolter rounds for his wrist mounted Storm Bolter. These function as direct-impact penetrators that upon impact of the target release thousands of needles that fire into the enemy, pumping a mutagenic acid into the foe.

Blight Grenades: A Blight Grenade is a highly effective improvised grenade and chemical weapon where each is made from the decapitated head of a conquered enemy. Using contagions in explosive devices designed to wound and infect over a large area, Blight Grenades expose those who are injured by the corrupted pieces of plague-ridden shrapnel to the most deadly of toxins. These contain virulent toxins that eat away at armour and fill the air with thick clouds of blinding, pathogenic spores.

My Secrets Are...

Psyker Abilities used by Durnehviir and his Sorcerers

Aura of Decay – Durnehviir and his fellow Sorcerers can emit an aura of decay that causes anything withing its corruptive grasp to wither and corrode, leaving a trail of rust and rot in their wake.

Wind of Chaos – Durnehviir can call forth the corruption from within his soul, unleashing waves of psychic energy that are subtly different for each Sorcerer: a sheet of iridescent Warp fire for the followers of Tzeentch, a golden cloud of rapturous agony or a rain of hypnotic light for the worshipers of Slaanesh, a stream of bilious filth for those devoted to Nurgle.

Echoes of Malice – The Warp is a repository of unfettered emotion, dense with energy ever engaged in a turbulent dance. Among these emotions, the strongest are those that the masses of humanity fear the most: anger, hatred, rage, hopelessness. For the worshipers of Chaos, these emotions must be embraced before they move one further on the path to greatness. A Sorcerer may utilize the resonance of these emotions in his work, causing them to bleed from the Warp into the minds of those around him. Thus, his allies rage in battle whilst his enemies struggle in hopelessness.

Death Hex – The Sorcerer places a dire hex upon his enemies. Wards and energised defensive shields flicker and fail, leaving the foe exposed.

Acidium Vitae – The psyker’s very blood and breath course with poison and disease, punishing his enemies for daring to attack him. His skin takes on a sickly colour, his veins turn green, and his breath reeks of decay. These cosmetic effects pale beside the suffering inflicted by his caustic blood as it splatters out from his wounds.

Corpse Burst – Of the more resourceful of Nurgle’s followers are those Sorcerers who have mastered the art of the Corpse Burst. As the armies of Chaos lay waste to their enemies, littering the war-plains with the bodies of the dead, disgusting eruptions of blood and bone, rot and disease cut through the soft skin of the Corpse-Emperor’s children.

Vile Contagion – Nurgle’s Rot spreads across the battlefield adding disease to bloodshed as far as the eye can see. However, the survival of any disease requires new hosts for incubation and as paths of transmission. Fortunately for the Master of Pestilence, Nurgle’s Rot spreads vigourously when fresh flesh is available and susceptible to its ravages. The Devotee of Nurgle, lured in and empowered by the cries of suffering his corruption inflicts, extends his consciousness through the miasma, spreading the disease along with it. Legends tell of Sorcerers using this spell to gain a pyrrhic victory when defeat seems imminent.

Fury of the Gods – The Sorcerer conjures a shimmering sphere of dark Warp energy, pouring his hate and spite into the crackling orb before hurling it through his foes with sledgehammer force.

Empyric Shield – An awful, keening whine cuts through the air as the Sorcerer charges the air around him with Warp power to form a protective shield of psychic force that repels attacks on a molecular level.

Ghost Storm – The Sorcerer summons a whirling mass of ectophantasmic entities from the Warp. In a jabbering, shrieking mass the half-seen gargoyles pluck the Sorcerer’s allies from the battlefield and tear them asunder.

Empyragheist – Using his own soul as a lure, the Sorcerer draws a formless Warp predator near before shackling its essence and hurling it forth to rip and tear its way through his foes.

Armour of Hatred – The Sorcerer turns his mind inwards, to the boundless hatred and vitriol that fester in his soul. Drawing upon that dark wellspring, he fashions a jagged psychic shield against his foes’ own psychic powers.